A POEM:
Summer has come and gone;
And, there are carcasses all around.
None to clean, none to run;
None to fight for all is dung.
Offer up your sacrifices
Says the still small voice inside.
Nothing of value to give
Only a whimper for an end.
Screams inside gives deafness
to the outward ear;
Sights outside makes the
Eye look deep within.
Nothing of value or valor;
Only a stench for the sense of smell,
To tell that nothingness
dwells from within.
sm (c) 8/16/11
Note: Paul says, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Philippians 3:8 KJV
thedailylily.com 
To me this is an absolutely vivid description of the horror and desolation of a life lived for self and apart from Christ. It’s black and white with no grey area so we don’t deceive ourselves. All or none. Either ‘Christ in us (really in us known by fruit not carcasses) the Hope of glory’ or no hope for eternal life.
Thank you Sara for the truth of the gospel to shine as the only real true Light.
From Paul’s scripture above…”but do count them as dung….”
The only hope there is in this, if any, is the parable of the Master Who having an orchard found a tree that consistently bore no fruit. He ordered it cut down. but the Vine-tender said (interceded) and said let me one more time DUNG around it and prune it and THEN IF IT DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT I WILL CUT IT DOWN.”
Oh God, for one more chance to be pruned and the “dung” of our evil experiences and mishaps will fertilize the soil of our hearts and bring us out of evil that we might bear fruit.
“A certain many had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of the vineyard, behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down (Luke 13:6-9).”
“Behold, you (O LORD) delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” Psalm 51:6
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb,†Psalm 139:13.
When we study “formed†and “inward parts†we discover that God is provoked to jealousy in regards to our innermost beings. God goes so far as to redeem our most inner being. Does your soul ever hungry and thirst for righteousness?
“… He restores our soul- Psalm 23:3…
“…there are carcasses all around.
None to clean, none to run;
None to fight for all is dung.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdomâ€.
“Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the LORD. Psalm 4: 5 NLT and verse 6 “…”Who can show us any good?”
It seems a sacrifice in the right spirit is one given by the directive of the Spirit…something He desires given, not what we think or want to give just because or even because it costs us something. If we do it because the Lord wants it done then we can trust Him for the results.
I think Ecc 9:10 can tie into this also…if we do with all our might ….small and all…believing God has directed us…we can trust Him for the results. Seems like our souls could get some restoration this way.
Hands find to do vs. folding of the hands?
Definitely To do. Proverbs 24:33,34 swarns us: “A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.”
Debi, I had an email from you Saturday night that Gwen Shaw, a great missionary having served in China and many other nations, spoke last night at a meeting you are attending; “what is that you are holding in your hands?” I thought most interesting that I had posted in early afternoon “What your hands find to do vs. folding of the hands?”
And, I had written out the scripture in early am on this blog, Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdomâ€.
I didn’t hear the message from Gwen but wonder if it tied in with our study here (poem) in anyway?
Yes. It definitely did. And she said this was the only message the Lord had given her…though she will be at the camp meeting a few more nights…and that maybe she will preach it each night. It was a do, not a folding. And she did say don’t wait to do or miss it in disobedience having to answer to what you did before the Lord.
The daily Lily and Gwen seem to be on the same page. I agree with her. What more is there for this time?
“Screams inside gives deafness
to the outward ear;
Sights outside makes the
Eye look deep within.”
“Words: JuÂlia W. Howe, 1861, alt. This hymn was born durÂing the AmerÂiÂcan ciÂvil war, when Howe visÂitÂed a UnÂion ArÂmy camp on the PoÂtoÂmac RivÂer near WashÂingÂton, D. C. She heard the solÂdiers singÂing the song “John Brown’s Body,†and was takÂen with the strong marchÂing beat. She wrote the words the next day:
‘I awoke in the grey of the mornÂing, and as I lay waitÂing for dawn, the long lines of the deÂsired poÂem beÂgan to enÂtwine themÂselves in my mind, and I said to myÂself, “I must get up and write these versÂes, lest I fall asleep and forÂget them!†So I sprang out of bed and in the dimÂness found an old stump of a pen, which I reÂmemÂbered usÂing the day beÂfore. I scrawled the versÂes alÂmost withÂout lookÂing at the pÂaper.”
“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.”
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/h/bhymnotr.htm
“He will thunder from His holy dwelling and roar mightily against His land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on earth.†Jeremiah 25:30
“In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;”
Labor Day?
“Nothing of value or valor;
Only a stench for the sense of smell,
To tell that nothingness
dwells from within.”
“I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps,
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps:
His day is marching on.”
Isaiah 63:3 states, “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury.”
“He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat:
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on… alludes to 2 Corinthians 5:10, which states that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
At the Campground, Friday night, when I heard Dr. Gwen Shaw’s message entitled, WHAT HAST THOU IN THY HAND? I got such a witness because Sara had written earlier, by inspiration, on that same day, the Scripture,” WHAT EVER THY HAND FINDS TO DO. Do it with all thine heart.”Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. (Eccl. 9:10)
Dr. Gwen Shaw, a tried and true prophet and missionary of Jesus Christ, the living God, went on to teach and preach an excellent dissertation and exhortation to the church that it was time to take what you have at HAND and turn it into a profit for the Kingdom of God. Not to hang on to worldly rubbish. The greedy spirit that is trying to overtake the church and the Christians, is insatiable. It always wants more, more more.
Sara has been teaching about the spirit of addictions…that greedy spirit that wants more and more and NEEDS more and more until the addiction takes you down.
I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart about this. We have a prophet in our own midst, “and we didn’t even know it (acknowledge properly, give honor appropriately, obey the Word and wisdom of the Lord that comes forth.
Surely a prophet of the LORD is in this place, and we are hardly aware of it.”
Many other things that has been taught were confirmed in the teaching sessions at the campground by godly, inspired and proven preachers and teachers of the Word of God.
I pray….Lord break our hearts. Smash our hearts of stone that are petrified by selfishness, greed, lust, envy, self-indulgence. You have sent your messengers among us. You have sent the rescuers, angels of mercy, those faithful, servants right in our midst and we don’t even know it.(Gen. 28:16)
God gave me that Scripture earlier and it was confirmed in a teaching I heard later today. Yes Lord. Break up our stony hearts. Give us the gift of repentance and a contrite heart to CHANGE . We repent and bow down before Your mercy seat We are sent long distances to confirm what has already been said here to us…on this blog…to our congregation. Why must we have to go miles to get our ears unstopped? To get our hearts broken and tenderized to realize, in REALITY, that God is in this place!!!!!! And we don’t even know it.
Gwen said not to hang on but what about daily buying more?
Dr. Gwen said :
Not to hang on to worldly rubbish. The greedy spirit that is trying to overtake the church and the Christians, is insatiable. It always wants more, more more.
She said it must be stopped, or words to that effect.
Sara has been teaching about the spirit of addictions…that greedy spirit that wants more and more and NEEDS more and more until the addiction takes you down.
Gwen Shaw also said that what’s in your hand (and she used the illustration of Moses and his rod that did such mighty things) better have a fish on the end of it if it’s going to amount to anything of value in eternity.
“Nothing of value or valor; Only a stench for the sense of smell,..”
I believe with all my heart that this poem of Sara’s and the timely posting of this hymn w/ accompanying scriptures, etc. is a clear trumpet that the Lord has sounded that we need to heed while still time.
“He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat:”
The Battle Hymn of the Republic has me thinking of the controversy that shrouds this hymn on many fronts. Yet, it has scripture mix for a purpose the writer must have felt be it right or wrong.
As I study the Words of Jesus my faith rises that He loves all peoples. And, for all He gave freely to see them free. I hope that my poem conveys Love reaches out and helps. God is Love! However, summer has left me thinking; I am not sure I have measured up to His commandment: John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.â€
I taught a workshop on “Throwing Your Light Forward’….This poem represents my own life from that time. Not real pleased with my own light….This song has encouraged me greatly to go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVSHCbolJew&feature=player_embedded” rel=”nofollow”>www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVSHCbolJew&feature=player_embedded
“Sights outside makes the eye look deep within”
Romans 1:20 says: “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”
Footnotes: “What kind of God does nature reveal? Nature shows us a God of might, intelligence, and intricate detail: a God of order and beauty; a God who controls powerful forces. That is general revelation. Through special revelation (the Bible and the coming of Jesus), we learn about God’s love and forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. God has graciously given us many sources that we might come to believe in him.”
Thank you, Father, for your beautiful creation, and for your love, forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life, through Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Thank you, Sara, for pointing me to this scripture in Romans.
Thank you Needles for finding the essence of my heart poem……
Needles reminded me that it was our beloved friend. Wendy, that brought her tape recorder with this song to our retreat and challenged each of us to go and be a light. Wendy had just finished her nursing school. Where is our Wendy, our Chickenfarmer? We miss you, Wendy. We love you, Chickenfarmer… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnJv5ach6y0&feature=related
Where is Debi’s song (lyrics) to her ‘Wendy’ song?
Sara, regarding your inspired poem…there was a prophecy that came forth during the worship service a part of which I will quote:
” Make your worship your lifestyle, and you will go higher and higher (in this) River of My delight. Drink of this river. My waters are delightful. Bitter waters will go. My River of Life is here. Drink of Me to remove the bitterness AND THE STENCH. Bathe and drink of these waters and you will be healed.”
Thanks for bringing to our reminder and sharing the song. Summer coming to an end…already seeing the day light hours decrease, the night grow longer. Yes, may we light up the darkness.
Sounds to me that when you come as low as the poem speaks of, you are so hungry for God that the only thing you can do is look up and take the hand of Jesus and follow after him. Jesus said in Mark 1:17 NLT Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” Through the teachings here on thedailylily we are learning how to fish for people as Debi said there better be a fish on the end of the line. Sister Jane Lowder at the Campground talked about the brier patch versus the Myrtle Tree. The brier patch has plenty of thowns that pricketh. She said don’t prick people. God wants to take out the thorns and put in a fir tree. Instead of briers he wants to put in myrtle trees so that your life will teach others of the good of God. (This reminded me of the myrte trees in NC we/thedailylily planted as a prayer walk. Hopefully we can sit with many of you and tell you our stories to bring hope to you as we also listen to your stories). She went on to say that sometimes we cut down people like barren trees. We don’t know that there is life there. She said to stop cutting down other people and to work on the briers in our on lives. If He did it for me, HE can do it for you too, so stay connected with Jesus.
Sister Gwen said about buying with a credit card – save it for only for a need. Guess we fudge (lie) about what we really need. She said at the end of her sermon that when we stand before the Lord, we’d wish we’d given more.
Some interesting concepts from camp that some of you speak of. Looks like a life time of living tells a story of its own.
I hope to hear some stores of encouragement like when Jesus said to the disciples after they had fished all night and caught nothing and they heard a voice say, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.â€
They did not even know it was the Lord but they obeyed the man’s voice and did it. “When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.†“Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’â€
Among the many things I see in this story is how humbling professional fisherman must have felt to listen to a stranger or a known carpenter to get a big catch. This story really puts a smile on my face.
BTY, my son went fishing on Sunday and they caught lots of fish and showed them off big time with digital cameras. Then delivered Rock Fish to me for dinner. I thought of this story of Jesus and the fisherman after hearing how my son’s yearly boat could not take his team out on their yearly scheduled day because the day before, Saturday, lightening hit the boat. The owner scheduled them another boat and they reluctantly went since they had so loved their known boat. But, the story told by digital pictures showed the results big time. An extremely Big Catch. Crew was great!
Don’t we love successful fish stories!
Congratulations to your “fishing son” who emulates the greatest FISHER of souls of all time by His death on the Cross. Whereby He instructed His disciples to be fishers of men, i.e. men’s souls.
Sara, concerning you SUMMER’S END POEM…I found this in Dr. Gwen Shaw’s Book HE SENT ME BACK TO TELL YOU…….
….”unless you finally wake up and find out where you are—that you have missed My best for your life and have ended up in the belly of a ‘great fish ‘ that is nothing more than a place where the PLEASANT TASTING lusts of the world are being digested and turned into DUNG.
Some day you will wake up to the STENCH of your existence and misery that your uncontrolled passions, fired by the fires of HELL have lured you into and have made you captive”
Sounds to me like Summer’s End and Autumn’s End and Spring’s End and Winter’s End…..the bitter, bitter END~~~~~
My son’s fishing report. “…we went out on the Rock-n-Robin. She was a determined captain and we had the biggest catch of the day.”
Why do some of us test God to the bitter end? Like a game of Christian Roulette….keep firing away, hoping against hope that we can have one more fling, one more drink, one more doping, one more affair; gambling against the odds that the next shot won’t be THE ONE! Some day, some time it WILL BE and then there will be weeping and wailing and the gnashing of teeth and there will be fiery indignation on the part of the Just Judge.
“Then in that day you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets. But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (Matthew 7)
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.( I never knew you for you did not prefer ME in your heart over everything else in your life)”
These will be saddest and the last words from out GOD we will ever hear if we don’t stop now!
Gwen’s book that MG quotes from above is exciting just as the poem of this blog or the fishing story of the disciples. When we get our priorities right we will fish from the right side and things will be right.
“When we get our priorities right we will fish from the right side and things will be right.” Another speaker at camp used this scriptural fish story from Luke 5 and went on to say in effect that God wants our will to die and we need to put on humility.
If our priorities aren’t right then we are doing what we want not what the Lord wants.
Thank you for your words of wisdom and direction.
I had the privilege to attend a daily campmeeting at a local church, yesterday. The pastor sure had some encouraging words that I would like to share here. He indicated that the enemy of our soul is out to stop our destiny, and that the devil (enemy) is relentless in trying to do so. However, the pastor further explained that in praying one night he believed the Lord spoke a word to him that he clings to: “The storm is not about where you are, but where you are going….(your destiny).” We all face storms in life, but our destiny is, as Paul tells us “that I may win Christ”.
The brilliance of the pastor’s statement Needles writes about is knowing your destiny. He sure knew his!
This all reminded me of the Bible parable that Jesus spoke, using the allegory of FISH…
Then Jesus said,
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish….which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good fish into vessels, but the bad they cast away. (Matt. 13:47-8)
Is it possible that in the “catch” of fish or rather catching of men’s souls, there will be those who will be KEPT and those who will be CAST AWAY? I think the Bible shows that in many of its teachings.
SUMMER’S END: PROPHETIC Prose to say the least and a prophetic warning. We just had a pretty big earthquake for our area a couple of hours ago…some of us experiencing it for the 1st time in our lives. This area is not prone to earthquakes, usually.
I think of the Scripture “When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice SHOOK THE EARTH, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken–that is, created things–so that what cannot be shaken may remain.( Hebrews 12:27-28)
“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved and we are not healed. For the breaking of the daughter of my people I am broken; I am in gloom; horror has seized me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the healing of the daughter of my people not come” (Jer. 8:20) ‘SUMMER HAS COME AND GONE’~~~~~
The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small Voice.”__1Kings 9:11
I guess we could add that along with His voice not in the earthquake and not in the fire….and NOT IN THE HURRICANE!
Lord we pray for our neighboring states, especially North Carolina as we ask mercy and favor for those who are in the path of Irene….in Jesus’ Name, and we thank YOU.
Headlines on The Huffington Post tonight!!!!!
“BLOOD IN THE STREETS – Corpses Litter Tripoli as Battle For Libya Rages on.”
The sobering reality of your poem is very serious as we consider headlines such as these…hell’s mouth is hungry for souls and there is a thin line between life and death.
Be doers of the Word!
“Tripoli hospital horror as patients die untreated…” My prayers of Mercy for this Nation and its people….
I agree with your prayers for this Nation.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2030782/Libya-Horror-150-bodies-farm-thought-massacred-pro-Gaddafi-forces.html
“Only a stench for the sense of smell,
To tell that nothingness
dwells from within.”
Take a look at the pictures on this page and watch the man with a cloth over his nostril and see just how true this poem rings. What must we as Christians, Church, Kingdom of God do? “Our Father, which art in Heaven….Thou Kingdom come to earth as it is in Heaven…” Does this site show us God’s Kingdom? Does our prayers, support and help show God’s Kingdom? Just some thoughts I am thinking this morning?
“Does this site show us God’s Kingdom?” I pray that all who visit this site will want to draw closer to God. God’s Word tells us that His Word will not return void. (?location?) Let’s keep posting God’s Word! The pastor at campmeeting this past week talked about storms in life. He explained that the only way to get through storms is to have daily devotions, in God’s Word. Reading, learning, and applying God’s Word is the only way to get through the storms of life. Seeing the above pictures of those dead bodies, sure shows that the devil is prowling around, on earth, seeking whom he may devour.
Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.”
Needles, Pastor at camp sure gave us a lot of help if we do what he says, “application”…..
When we are giving such vivid accounts (as in link below) of what is happened in God’s World today what should we do? John 3:16 “For God so loved the WORLD…”
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/08/28/libya.gadhafi.nanny/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
Troubles all around us. When I see women and children hurting, abused in such awful ways it surely breaks down the fiber of life in one”s own heart. May at least my prayers reach up and out and touch the Hem of His Garment, the garment of the One that proclaimed His love for all the world.